Cage adjuster



F. H. NEELY CAGE ADJUSTER Jan. 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 4, 1955 u E M H w M 5 F. H. NEELY CAGE ADJUSTER Jan. 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 4, 1955 INVENTORQJ. flax-s7 6012;: y

Forest fl. Neely, Philadelphia, 1%., assignor to Bath Iron Works Corporation, lllath, Maine, corporation of Maine Application August t, M55, Serial No. 526,l35

ll Claim. (Cl. Eat-39) This invention relates to the spacing between the screen grating and the rotating hammers of hammermill type crushers and. is directed particularly to mechanisms for adjusting the screen gratings.

The hammermill type crushcrs have a rotor with a plurality of sets of hammers, each hammer pivotally mounted on the rotor and extending radially on rotation of the hammer. The sets of hammers extend longitudinally and the sets are evenly distributed circumferentially around the rotor. The hammer rotor receives frangible material such as coal and the like from a chute positioned centrally above the rotor. in the type of hammermill to which this invention is applicable screen gratings are positioned in each of the lower quadrants and are curved to follow the hammer circle formed by the outer edges of the rotating hammers. The grating comprises longitudinal extending bars spaced to form longitudinal extending slots between the bars. Separate screen gratings are positioned on opposite sides of the hammermill. The rotor is reversible in direction of rotation so that the wear on the hammers is even. The spacing between the tips of the hammers and the surfaces of the bars is important, effecting the e'lficiency of the crusher and the resulting discharged crushed material. In order to have the proper spacing and compensate for the wear of the hammers and grating bars the screen gratings are pivotally mounted at the upper end and adjusted by a suitable linkage mechanism connected at an intermediate point or at the end.

Heretofore these adjustments have been made by hand operated cranks or the like which are cumbersome and require a number of men to adjust the cage. in addition to a crew, valuable time is wasted when the crusher could be operating. As a result the adjustment is not made frequently enough and the crusher is operated at reduced emciency and turns out the desired uniformity.

An obiect of the invention is to provide a mechanism that will easily and quickly adjust the spacing between the hammer tips and the screen bar surfaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustiog mechanism that provides for an accurate adjustment of the spacing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjusting mechanism that may be easily attached to an installed crusher.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings in which:

Fig. l is an end view of a hammermill type crusher with the adjusting mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section view taken along lines 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the electrical control circuit.

in Fig. 1 there is shown the casing in of a hammermill type crusher, and in outline the radially extending rotating hammers fill and the screen gratings l2 and have screen bars lid and T5, respectively with surfaces 16 and atent "ice 17 respectively. The bars extend longitudinally and are supported at their respective ends by cradles l8, l9 pivotally mounted on longitudinally extending shafts Zll, 22 in the upper left and right hand corners respectively. The cradles are positioned or spaced from the hammer circle 23 subscribed by the rotating hammer tips by toggle linkages 14, 2S pivotally connected at an intermediate point to the cradles l8, 19 respectively and securely fastened to the longitudinal shafts 2b, 27 respectively. Rotation of either shaft will collapse or extend the respective linkage and correspondingly move the respective screen gratings. The shafts 26, 27 are mounted at each end in bearings (not shown) and extend through the end wall 29 of the casing to be supported in an outside end bearing 30, 31 with 32, 33 and 34, 35 respectively secured to the lateral end beam 36. On the ends of the shafts 26, 2'? are mounted ring gears 38, 39 engaging worms ll}, 41 turned by shafts 42, 43. The worm gears 4d, 41 are housed in casings id, l5 with bearings 4c, 7 and 43, 49 respectively supporting the worms and shafts 412, 43. As the worm gear turns, the ring gear rotates adjusting a respective screen grating.

The ring gears 35$, 39 are turned by a three phase synchronous electric motor 50 through a cone reducer 511 and square face clutches 52, 53 respectively. The motor 5b is preferably a three phase electric synchronous motor turning at 900 R. P. M. and energized by alternating current in the range of 110 to 220. The motor fill is mounted on a pedestal 555 made of reinforced concrete and extends from the end of the casing and supports the cone reducer 51 and is secured thereto by bolts embedded in the concrete (see Fig. 2). The motor shaft 56 is connected to the cone reducer shaft 5? by a coupling 58 having flanges 59, 69 joined by bolts 61. Stud shafts 63, 64 extend from opposite ends of the cone reducer 5 in a direction lateral to the motor shaft 56.

The motor and cone reducer are preferably centrally positioned between the ring gears 38, 39. The cone reducer output stud shafts 63, as are coupled to the shafts d2, 43 by the clutches 52, 53 respectively.

in this embodiment the fixed member 65 of clutch 52 is secured to the shaft 63 and the fixed member as is secured to the shaft 6 The movable members 67, 68 are slideably mounted on the shafts d2, 43 respectively. The fixed member as and slideable member as have complementary faces with cogs 70 of member 67 fitting into grooves ".71 of member 65 and the cogs 72 of member 65 fitting into the grooves 73 of member 67. The clutch 53 is similarly constructed. The slideable members 67 and 63 are slideably keyed to the shafts 42, 43 respectively to drive the shafts in either direction. The clutches are moved into and out of engagement with the respective fixed faces by an actuating linkage mechanism '75 mounted on pedestals I6, 77 positioned on opposite sides of the motor pedestal 55.

The actuating mechanism comprises links 7 ti, 7% pivotally secured at one end to the pedestals 7'6, 7'? respectively by the mountings 8d, 81 bolted to the pedestals. The links '78, '79 have yokes $2, 83 with pins 84, 85 respectively fitting in circumferential grooves 86, $7 on the slideable members 67, 68. The links '78, 7'9 are pivotally connected at the upper ends to the transverse link 83 which spaces the links 78, 79 so that only one of the clutches 52, 53 is in engagement at one time. A handle 9% is mounted in the middle of link 38 to shift the clutches from one position to the other. The cone reducer til provides a 15:1 reduction of the motor speed and the worm and gear provide a further reduction of 48: 1. Thus with the motor revolving at 900 R. P. M. the shafts 26. 27 will turn at one and one quarter revolutions per minute. Pointers 9T, 92 are secured to the shafts 26, 27 respectively and rotate therewith. Indicating rings 92, 93 are 3 mounted on the casings 44, 45 and circularly extend along the path of the tip of the pointer to indicate the portion of the cages 12 and 13. The scales may be used to indicate the amount of wear that has been taken up and when the cages are to be replaced. The scale may be in the form of semi-circular plate.

A control box 95 is mounted on the motor pedestal 55 and connected to the motor by wires 96a, 96b, 96c. The motor 50 is of the three phase type and has three windings 50a, 50b, 500. The control box 95 (Fig. 3) has two multiple contact electromagnetic switches 97, 98 for changing the phase relationship of the field windings to reverse the motor. The switches are connected to wires 99a, 99b, 990 of cable 99 to provide the control box and motor with three phase, sixty cycle alternating current. The cable 99 is connected with a main cable of the buildmg.

The electromagnetic switches 97, 93 are operated by the jogging switches 100, 101 mounted on opposite sides of the crusher and connected to the control box by cables 102, 103, 119, 120 and 123, 124, respectively. The switches 97, 93 have contacts 97a, 97b, 97c, and 98a, 98b, 980 respectively for connecting the wires 96a, 96b, 960 in diiferent phase relationships to the input lines 99a, 99b, 99c. The contacts are mounted on shafts 104, 105 respectively actuated by the plungers 106, 107 in the windings 108, 109 of the solenoids 110, 111. On actuation the plungers 106, 107 are drawn against springs 112, 113 which disengage the contacts on deenergization of the coil.

The coils or windings 108, 109 are connected to the switches 100, 101 by the cables 102, 103. The jogging switches have push button contacts 114, 115 and contacts 116, 117 respectively. Contacts 114, 116 are connected to the clockwise winding 108 and contacts 115, 117 are connected to the counterclockwise winding 109. The push buttons are spring loaded and must be held in closed position to actuate the motor. As soon as a depressed button is released the motor stops. With the large reduction ratio between the ring gears and motor the position of the screen cages 12, 13 may be controlled to a very precise distance. The clockwise and counterclockwise buttons are cross connected so that only one button of a switch can actuate the motor at the same time. In order to prevent the buttons of different jogging switches from winding 108 by the wire 119 through the closed contact 90d. The counter-clockwise button contact is connected to the counter-clockwise winding 109 by the wire 120 through the closed contact 97d. The windings are connected to the input line 9912 by the common line 121. The button contacts of the jogging switch 101 are connected to the input line 99a by the wire 122. The clockwise button contact is connected by wire 123 to the wire 119 and thus through the closed contact 98d to the winding 108. The counter-clockwise button contact is connected by the line 124 to line 120 and thus through the closed contact 97d to the winding 109. When the clockwise winding 103 is energized the lines 50a, 50b and 500 of the motor are connected to the input lines 99a, 99b, and 99c respectively through the contacts 97a, 97b and upon the direction of rotation of the motor.

970 respectively. When the counter-clockwise winding 109 is energized the lines 50a, 50b and 50c are connected through contacts a, 93b and 900 to the lines 9%, 99a and 990. Thus, there is a change in the phase relationship of the movable windings. Overload relays 125 and 126 are connected in the common line 121 so that an overload on any phase will deenergize the electromagnetic switches and stop the motor.

The switches 100 and 101 are placed on opposite sides of the crusher so that the motor 50 can be operated from either side. The lines to the switches 100 and 101 are guided by conduits 123 and 129, respectively, which are joined with the common conduit connecting the conduits 128 and 129 to the control box 95. The input power leads are guided by conduit 131. It is preferable in operating the adjustment of the cage 13 that the operator stands on the side of the crusher where switch 100 is located. The operator then pulls the clutch 53 in engagement by the handle 90 and can push the buttons on the switch 100 for either clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the motor. Shaft 43, worm 41 and ring gear 39 are actuated by turning the shaft 27 which extends or contracts the toggle mechanism 25 depending The cage 13 is thus moved towards or away from the rotating hammers. As soon as the hammers ping against the cage bars 50 the motor is stopped and reversed by pushing the other button and moving the cage 13 the proper distance away from the hammers. Similarly the cage 12 may be adjusted by pulling the handle 90 in the opp0- site direction and disengaging clutch 53 and engaging clutch 52. The jogging switch 101 is then used to actuate the motor 50. It is thus seen that one operator can adjust the cages. This can be done at any time when it is desired and thus the proper spacing of the hammers and the screen bars may be easily maintained during the crushing period.

Various other modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

In combination with a hammermill type crusher having a rotor with hammers and having two sets of screen bars on a respective side of said rotor pivotally mounted to move to and from said rotor, a screen bar adjusting mechanism comprising a first and second positioning means for separately adjusting the relationship of a respective set of screen bars with said rotor, power means rotatable in two directions, first and second clutch means for separately and independently connecting a respective positioning means to said power means for separately and independently adjusting said screen bars, actuating means connected to said clutch means for separately connecting said first and second positioning means one at a time to said motor and electrical control means for controlling the directions of rotation of the power means References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 836,162 Williams Nov. 20, 1906 2,149,571 .Battey Mar. 7, 1939 2,170,407 Hartshorn Aug. 22, 1939 2,411,302 Stine Nov. 19, 1946 2,471,068 Keiper May 24, 1949 

